Amusement rides of the roller coaster type have enjoyed immense popularity in the United States and elsewhere for over one hundred years. As is custom, these rides often consist of a passenger carrying vehicle, or collection of vehicles joined together, which traverse along a track system. Historically, the track system typically comprised a pair of parallel rails which exhibit steep upward and downward gradients in elevation, and sharp left and right banking turns. Aside from supplying the passenger with a pleasing panoramic view from high elevations, the main objective of the roller coaster ride was to thrill the passenger by traversing the track at the fastest possible speed while maintaining an acceptable degree of safety. The thrill experienced by the passenger thus arose through the sensations of rapid acceleration, brought about through rapid changes in vertical and horizontal direction of movement.
Innovations in roller coaster design sought to enhance and intensify passenger thrill by substantially increasing the speed of movement along the track system, and hence, the resulting forces of acceleration experienced by the passenger. These innovations were greatly facilitated by technological advances in materials engineering, a direct result of which enabled the construction of stronger and lighter track systems and passenger vehicles. However, attendant with ever increasing speeds of the passenger vehicles is the ever increasing risk of catastrophic failure of the ride. As a result, other innovations sought to enhance and intensify passenger thrill by incorporating increasingly complex geometries into the track system itself. Two of the more common track geometries which have thus evolved are the loop and the helix.
Typical prior art disclosures of a track system employing a loop may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 609,164 (Prescott 1898); 812,595 (Roberts 1906); 1,441,404 (Czemy 1923); 2,567,438 (McBride 1951); 3,411,783 (Montagna 1968); and 5,463,962 (Gnezdilov 1995). In these systems, a vertical loop geometry is often positioned somewhere in the middle of the amusement ride. As the passenger vehicle traverses the loop it makes a somersault, giving passengers a thrill similar to that which one might experience during a loop-the-loop maneuver performed by an aerial acrobatic airplane.
Typical prior art disclosures of a track system employing a helix may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,889,605 (Bacon 1975); 4,724,771 (Yamada 1988); and 5,433,153 (Yamada 1995). In these systems, a substantially horizontal helix configuration is positioned at some point within the amusement ride. As the passenger vehicle traverses the helix it is rotated in accordance with the twist of the tracks which define the helix. Accordingly, passengers experience a thrill similar to that which one might experience during a barrel-loop maneuver performed by an aerial acrobatic airplane.
Roller coaster designs are often limited by the rigidity, stress resistance, fatigue levels, and flexibility of the track and support structure. Thus, as improvements in materials and technology are increased, more sophisticated and innovative designs are possible. A further consideration in the design of roller coasters is the amount of space required because of the limitations of park space. Furthermore, installation, design, and fabrication costs must also be considered in the creation of a roller coaster.
In parallel with the aforedescribed track system geometries, there also exist innovations in passenger vehicle configurations for enhancing and intensifying passenger thrill. These innovations typically depart from the conventional roller coaster in that the passenger vehicle no longer assumes the standard railway car configuration. For example, Achrekar (U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,943) discloses a suspended passenger vehicle configuration whereby individual passenger units are rotated and translated in a multiplanar manner as the carriage assembly proceeds along a mobious strip, or one-half section of helical track. A more recent departure from the conventional passenger vehicle configuration is disclosed in Bolliger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,984). The invention disclosed in Bolliger enables passengers to be suspended from a bogie moving along a horizontal track system, so that a seated passenger's head is in closer proximity to the bogie--and hence the track rails--than are the passenger's body and limbs. This configuration results in a passenger vehicle being designed so that each passenger is suspended with his legs in mid-air without a wall or a floor around him.
Prior art roller coaster designs, including those employing the aforementioned conventional and suspended passenger vehicles, place passengers either above or below the ride track, thus limiting a passenger's forward, above, and below track sight lines. This limitation precludes enhancements to a passenger's thrill level that can otherwise be obtained through use of the side-mount roller coaster vehicle disclosed herein. For example, a conventional roller coaster vehicle--such as that disclosed by Bacon (U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,605)--is configured to travel along a pair of parallel rails that are oriented horizontally with respect to a seated passenger and are positioned below the passenger's feet, that is, the rails lay directly underneath the roller coaster vehicle. Thus, while the passenger has an unobstructed view above and to his or her side, the location of the track assembly as well as the vehicle itself, relative to a seated passenger, preclude unobstructed view of the ground below. Likewise, a suspended roller coaster vehicle--such as that disclosed by Bolliger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,984)--is configured to travel along a pair of parallel rails that are oriented horizontally with respect to a seated passenger and are positioned above the passenger's head, that is, the rails lay directly overhead the roller coaster vehicle. Thus, while the passenger has an unobstructed view below and to his or her side, the location and horizontal geometry of the track assembly as well as the vehicle itself, relative to a seated passenger, precludes unobstructed view of the sky above.
The present invention seeks to overcome the aforementioned sight obstructions by positioning the passenger off to the side of the track assembly, thereby affording the passenger an unobstructed view both above and below and to the outboard side of the track. Furthermore, by positioning the passenger's head sufficiently high above the track, an unobstructed side view toward the inboard side of the track can be had as well. Still further, the positioning of the passenger seating means on a cantilevered beam, in lieu of being surrounded by a vehicle body, serves well to improve forward passenger sight lines. One result of the side-mounting feature is thus to improve the overall quality of unobstructed passenger sight lines over that available with prior art configurations. A series of vehicles of the present invention may be linked together to form a roller coaster train similar to methods known in the art.
The side-mount vehicle configuration is mountable on either single or dual track configurations (i.e., a pair of vehicles, one left and one right side-mount, running on adjacent rails in the same direction). This ability to configure the side-mount vehicles in both single train and dual train modes also enables the track system to assume further modifications over conventional track elements. For example, along with the more conventional banked turns, loops, and helixes, the side-mount feature enables a dual train configuration to split into two single-train configurations, each then traversing separate segments of track. At a later point, the two single-train configurations can either rejoin into a dual train configuration, or speed past one another in opposing directions. Incorporating the aforementioned "on-the-fly" changing of configurations into the conventional ride elements adds again to the enhanced passenger thrill resulting from the side-mount vehicle system.
An additional feature of side-mount vehicles is that they tend to be shorter than conventional vehicles. Accordingly, roller coaster trains comprising side-mount vehicles tend to be shorter than conventional trains. This allows the trains to transition quicker than do conventional trains.
The present invention further seeks to provide truss tracks which require less structure. Less structure allows for tracks which can serpentine around with minimal clearance envelope problems, while at the same time, requiring less steel and concrete in its construction when compared with more conventional configurations. A further advantage of the shorter trains and reduced structural support is the ability to fit the maximum amount of ride experience into a minimum acreage footprint.
In view of the aforesaid, an object of the present invention is to provide a unique and enhanced passenger experience through use of a side-mount passenger vehicle design. The side-mount vehicle design effectively combines the advantages and thrills of both conventional and suspended roller coasters into one ride. Improved forward, above, side-to-side, and below track sight lines offer passengers a unique "free flying" ride experience which enhances and intensifies passenger thrills and increases the anticipation of upcoming ride elements (i.e., loops, turns, etc.). In addition, the side-mount feature enables new track elements--i.e., track splits and merges--to be incorporated into the overall ride layout. Still further, the shorter vehicle size associated with the side-mounting feature of the present invention, coupled with less required structure, permits tighter transitions to be configured into the overall track layout, resulting in more ride per unit of acreage footprint. This in turn enhances passenger thrill by imposing on the passenger faster variations in acceleration forces due to more rapid changes in direction.
Thus, it would be ah advancement in the art to provide a track structure with increased rigidity, stress resistance, fatigue levels, and layout flexibility to allow superior safety and increased innovation in track designs.
It would be a further advancement in the art to provide a track structure requiring less support structure.
It would be another advancement in the art to provide a roller coaster with passenger vehicles which offer an improved line of sight and provide a new ride experience.
Such apparatuses are disclosed and claimed herein.